The ability to securely transmit information between two locations is of paramount importance in today's communication systems. Before the invention of digital transmission methods, analog encryption was commonplace. However, today's communication systems rely almost exclusively on transmitting information digitally. Digital transmission has become commonplace because it provides optimal accuracy and security. While it is optimal for many applications, digital transmission also creates a major disadvantage. In order to convert an analog signal into the digital domain, analog information must be sampled in accordance with, for example, the nyquist sampling theorem. According to this theorem, an analog signal should be sampled at twice the frequency of the analog signal. Therefore, transmitting information digitally requires the necessary bandwidth to be a function of the sampling frequency, the number of bits per sample, and the bandwidth efficiency of the modulator. For many systems, this can drastically increase the bandwidth that is required. In certain applications where bandwidth is limited, analog transmission can be more efficient. However, because of the increased accuracy and encryption ability afforded by digital transmission, current secure communication systems have not focused on securely transmitting data in the analog domain.
A continuing need exists for improved methods and apparatus that can transmit analog data securely while minimizing the distortion of information.